Humility in the Heat of the Kitchen Will Bring You Success
Every organization has some sort of hierarchy. One person might report to another, but at the end of the workweek, every person at the company has played their part in making the company successful. Someone in the proverbial corner office is only as good as her team. Every person is a human being and deserves the respect of coworkers despite their title.
I love using a well-run kitchen as a metaphor for any type of successfully-led business. Is a well-run kitchen organized? Yes. Spotless? Yes. Does it get intense with literal fires to put out on a regular basis? Yes. We've all heard horror stories of arrogant chefs screaming at their line cooks and front-of-house staff during service. I'm not advocating for yelling or being arrogant by any means. I'm advocating for how the head chef acts before, during, and after service.
A strong leader not only sets the tone by giving orders, a strong leader sets an example for her co-workers to follow. I'm not impressed by a chef who screams at line cooks and blames them for screwing up the temperature of someone's steak while he has a cigarette out back. I'm not impressed by a chef who runs a perfect dinner service and takes off his apron to go mingle with the guests. I'm impressed by a chef who keeps the kitchen under control, on pace, solves problems as they come, and most importantly, sticks around to wipe down the pass and help the dishwasher close up shop.
I have a tremendous amount of respect for chefs who—most restaurant-goers might not even know— show up to work at 10 am to prepare everything for the evening's dinner service and stay to clean up well past midnight. Restaurant work is extremely demanding physically, mentally, and emotionally. These principles can be applied to any business and no matter how many efficiencies you build into your business, people will always be the underlying factor for your success.
I've worked in kitchens where the head chef is the first person in and the last person to leave. A dedicated chef puts in the work while mentoring her staff. One of the most rewarding moments I experienced in a kitchen was witnessing the head chef stand in line with a 14 year old dishwasher, sous chef, and line cook working together in an assembly line to get pots, pans, and dishes cleaned, dried, and put away. No ego, no one is better than anyone else. Everyone is dedicated to the same task at hand and vision at large.
Don't confuse delegation with entitlement. Just because you're in a position of power, doesn't mean that your co-worker's respect is guaranteed. Be grateful and treat your direct reports (and others) the way you'd like to be treated.
If you're the 14 year old dishwasher, remember moments like this and reciprocate the camaraderie as you rise through the ranks in the kitchen or in any industry. No one is inherently better than anyone else, despite positions or titles. Remember that always. If you're the seasoned chef, foster your team because your success is directly related to the support you receive from and provide to those around you.
image: Johnathan Macedo on Unsplash